Coffee Talk 2 interview with lead writer Junkipatchi: Serving up more stories

Coffee Talk is the ultimate chill-out game for anyone who loves coffee, conversation, and cozy vibes. You play as a barista in a cool little café where all sorts of interesting characters come to hang out and share their stories. The best part is, you get to make coffee for them! As you listen to their tales and serve up delicious drinks, you’ll slowly uncover the mysteries of their lives and even help them solve their problems. The game is super casual, with no pressure to win or lose, so you can just sit back, relax, and enjoy the laid-back atmosphere.

While at PAX East last weekend, I had the incredible opportunity to sit down with some of the most talented developers in the gaming industry and discuss their upcoming projects. In these interviews, I got the inside scoop on the development process, gameplay mechanics, and the creative vision behind these upcoming releases.

I sat with Junkipatchi, the writer for Coffee Talk Ep. 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly, and spoke about the sequel.

Me: Can you tell us a bit about your involvement with Coffee Talk and its sequel?

Junkipatchi: Sure, I’m the writer for Coffee Talk 2, but I didn’t write the first game.

Me: What did you draw from the first game that you felt worked really well? What did you expand on for the second one?

Junkipatchi: Well, the first one is all about getting to know the characters and feeling their warmth, especially during the pandemic when people were feeling lonely. So for the second game, I tried to push that even further by adding more characters and exploring what they do outside of the coffee shop.

Me: That’s awesome. What’s your favorite part of the game you wrote? What’s your favorite feature or favorite character?

Junkipatchi: I love the closeness you can develop with people you wouldn’t normally talk to outside of the coffee shop. You become a sort of barrier story, serving people stuff and then they open up to you. I also really like the fantastical creatures in the game because they represent different things and it’s up to the player’s interpretation.

Me: Coffee Talk was very popular. Did you receive any feedback from that game that influenced your work on the sequel?

Junkipatchi: The original writer of Coffee Talk unfortunately passed away, so being the sequel writer, I felt a lot of responsibility. But I was inspired by the first game and tried to expand on what made it successful. It’s amazing to hear how much people connected with the game and how it helped them in real life.

Me: That’s really touching. Can you tell us a bit more about the original writer and how they came up with the idea for Coffee Talk?

Junkipatchi: The original writer created Coffee Talk because he wanted to have a sense of closeness with the characters, but in a unique way. He didn’t like coffee, so he started with “Tea Talk”, and a lot of the drinks you make in the game are actually tea-based. For the sequel, we added new recipes like hib tea and butterflower tea.

Me: Ooh, so there are new recipes in the game?

Junkipatchi: Yeah, definitely. We have a new one called hib and butter flour.

Me:: What’s the biggest takeaway you want players to have from this game?

Junkipatchi: I think the biggest takeaway is to be open-minded because everyone is looking for something in their lives. Sometimes what they’re looking for doesn’t necessarily align with everyone else, but they’re trying their hardest because we’re all struggling to find our own purpose. It’s all about being present and talking with someone you know, sometimes that’s enough.

Me: That’s a really great message. Can you tell us more about the game without giving away any spoilers?

Junkipatchi: Well, I can say that there’s about double the content from the first game. But I don’t want to give too much away because I don’t want to spoil it for anyone.

Coffee Talk Ep. 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly will be available on April 20th, 2023 on the PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.